The present invention relates to a grounding device for automated guided vehicles adapted to traverse a path on a floor surface coated with a non-conductive material to thereby deliver items in an automated fashion to a set location and a method therefore. More specifically, the invention is concerned with electrically grounding an automated vehicle to a ground in order to prevent an electric charge from building up in said automated guided vehicle including, for example, static electricity, thereby damaging electronic devices or persons associated with said guided vehicle. The invention involves the use of a grounding strap extending from said guided vehicle and adapted for contacting a ground device electrically grounded to the earth.
Automated guided vehicles have become common in many industrial applications. These vehicles are used to transport material along a predetermined guide path established at an industrial facility. These automated guided vehicles utilize various methods to guide the vehicle in an automated manner. Most all of these various guidance methods include the use of electronics positioned on the guided vehicle. In addition, in some cases, the guided vehicles also include electric motors to both power the vehicle and perform functions at various locations in the facility.
Electrostatic build-up of an electrical charge is well known in the facility management and material handling industries. If not managed appropriately, electrostatic build-up can harm electronics used in a facility as well as personnel working in such facility. Prior art grounding devices including metal chains, flexible conductive strips and conductive surface coatings. Metal chains are known to be mounted to the frame of vehicles for contact with the surface having no coatings such as a cement surface with no coatings. Such chains are known to be subject to breaking, bouncing and creating hazardous sparks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,653 shows a flexible conductive strip mounted to a frame of an automobile for contacting the ground. These prior art devices were designed for use with a conductive surface, most commonly the ground, and not for use on a surface coated with a non-conductive material.
Conductive coatings are relatively newer in the industry and are known to assist in grounding facility equipment to protect workers and equipment. In applications where the use a guided vehicle is planned, most facility floor surfaces are coated with such conductive coatings thereby permitting the guided vehicle to be electrically grounded through the vehicle tires to the conductive coating. However, due to the increasing use of automated guided vehicles, many facilities are installing such guided vehicles without having a conductive coating on the facility floor surface, and in most cases, a non-conductive coating remains. Under such circumstances where the facility floor does not have a conductive coating, this can affect the ability to ground facility machinery and equipment thereby causing a serious electrostatic build-up hazard.